Resources

You NEED a White Coat Clipboard. I would throw this into my white coat with a stack of plain paper before every shift and write down a page of notes on each patient. I would scribble vitals, brainstorm a differential diagnosis, and create my to-do lists. However, the MOST useful thing I did with it was FILL OUT THE 8-STEP PRESENTATION OUTLINE FOR EACH PATIENT (as I discussed during the episode Patient Presentations). I kept it open for when I stumbled, and it kept everything I said focused and organized.

This 128 page GEM is very small and fits right in your pocket. If the patient has an infection, it tells you which antibiotic to use. It has a beautiful, colorful design and contains JUST the right amount of information. No more. No less. It will not just be something you bring for your clerkship, you will use it all through residency as well.

Alright. This one is expensive. I didn’t actually buy it when I was a medical student, I just checked out a copy from the university library. However, I do intend to purchase a “The Atlas” someday. This is the most beautiful, high definition, captivating textbook I’ve ever read. It contains SO. MANY. PICTURES. with text incorporated efficiently throughout. If paragraph after paragraph of printed text makes you want to vomit. This book is for you.

This was the book I used for Step 2 preparation. Obviously in conjunction with a question bank, but I LOVE USMLE Step 2 secrets. Each specialty is broken down into a series of open ended, high yield questions related to that field. I think it’s the best Step 2 review book, hands down.

During my clerkship, this was the pocket book I read most. It’s only 24 pages, so you can read it a few times to reinforce your fundamentals. In this book, EMRA displays a well-designed, visual algorithm to the Top 20 most common chief complaints in the Emergency Department. I recommend you read it over and over and over.

Ok, this is another expensive study source, so I would only buy this if you are absolutely set on matching into Emergency Medicine. With that said, it is an absolutely INCREDIBLE set of video content covering the core content of Emergency Medicine. The videos are short, engaging, and cover enough material to literally help a doctor pass emergency medicine boards. And the best part is that none of the content is too advanced for a medical student. They offer a free trial if you want to check it out, and I highly recommend it.

Instead of reading the full Tintinalli’s textbook, start by reading the SUMMARIZED Tintinalli’s Manual. This is actually my go-to book in residency because it offers the perfect balance of depth and brevity. I especially like the section at the end of each chapter called “Emergency Department Care and Disposition.” It offers step-by-step approaches to every topic in emergency medicine. It does lack some of the depth offered by the full text, but it is much more approachable and certainly more than adequate for your clerkship.

This is one of the best FOAMed resources available at this time. EM Topics provides daily email “spoon-feeds” on recent EM literature. Each email comes with an attached abstract, analysis of the article, and link to PubMed. If you sign up for this and read your daily email, you will rapidly become one of the most up to date providers in your department.

Life in the Fast Lane (LITFL) is the king of Emergency Medicine blogs, and the ECG diagnosis list is the best part. On your shelf exam, there will be many vignettes with an EKG shown. YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO READ AN EKG. Learn the skill now, and you will reap the rewards on your SLOE… Because not only will there will be ECGs on your test, but attendings will pimp you on them, your sim sessions will incorporate them, and virtually every patient you will interview has one in their chart. Don’t forget to study ECGs. And definitely don’t overlook LITFL as a resource.